Jun. 21, 2013

Written by

Michael Risinit and Randi Weiner

ONLINE

TARRYTOWN — If the contractor building the new Tappan Zee Bridge thought Thursday’s offer of millions to help soundproof three apartment complexes near the existing bridge would quiet any unrest, the company was mistaken.

None of the three communities — the Quay in Tarrytown, Salisbury Point in the village of South Nyack and Bradford Mews in South Nyack — immediately said they would accept their portion of the $4.2 million intended to let them buy and install sound-reducing windows and doors.

While offering the sound-reducing money, officials turned down requests from the same complexes for other items, such as pool and tennis court enclosures, fences and certain property maintenance tasks.

Board presidents at the Quay and Salisbury expressed disappointment with their respective offers from Tappan Zee Constructors, saying the money each was offered was not enough to do the work. At Bradford Mews, a rental community, the contractor’s overture of about $1 million was greeted with a noncommittal “thank you.”

The money comes from Tappan Zee Constructors’ contribution to the bridge project’s Community Benefits Program — a $20 million pot of money split evenly between the state and the contractor that is available for public and private improvements near the bridge construction.

The three complexes sit close to the bridge’s approaches. Residents already have expressed concern about noise. Construction activity in the Hudson River began this spring and is expected to intensify in coming months as pile driving and dredging get underway.

The offer is part of our “good neighbor policy,” Tappan Zee Constructors spokeswoman Carla Julian said. New windows and doors will “help minimize the potential effects of construction noise,” she said. “These benefits for the communities are not required by law, but our team feels they are the right thing to do.”

Alice Goldberg, president of the Quay board, said the offered $2.15 million isn’t enough to cover the entire 89-unit condominium complex. She said she planned to meet with bridge and contractor officials.

“We were not asking for the Mercedes,” she said. “We were asking for Andersen windows.”

The Salisbury board’s president, Catherine McCue, said the roughly $1 million proffered by Tappan Zee Constructors would not pay for the glass replacement the 120-unit complex requested. She called the proposal “very disappointing and demoralizing.”

Ilda Rastoder, a spokeswoman for the owner of Bradford Mews, said they were pleased with what they “believe to be a fair and reasonable solution for the impact to our property.” She stopped short, however, of saying owner Eagle Rock Apartments would immediately accept the cash.

Julian, the contractor’s spokeswoman, declined to respond to the residents’ comments.

The $10 million Tappan Zee Constructors contributed to the Community Benefits Program is part of its $3.1 billion contract to build the new bridge. The similar amount put up by the New York State Thruway Authority is part of the project’s overall $3.9 billion price tag.